Who Do You Think?
by Crittab
Summary: My first attempt at a Laley pairing. Hope you like it. Thank you for all of your helpful reviews. Ke4ep em coming.
1. Changing Lanes

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill, if I did you would know it, trust me. Lol. Enjoy.  
  
This is my first attempt at a Lucas/Haley pairing, give me any and all advice, criticism good or bad is welcomed. Thanks.  
  
It's times like these you really need your best friend around. The one person you trust with anything and everything. You know they wont hold it against you, because they are just not that type of person.  
  
Last night I stood there, dumbly, painfully looking between two wonderful women. I couldn't choose. I sent them both home and pondered it all night. You know what I came up with? I don't want either of them.  
  
Sure, I want a relationship, but I can't think of anyone I'd really like to have on with. Peyton is beautiful, but the depressed, lonely teen thing is a little played out. Then there's Brooke. Could anyone really have a relationship with her? I mean she's player times ten. Like anything was really going to amount to that.  
  
So I'm back where I started, months ago. Just my mom, Uncle Keith, and Haley my one true friend. Being back here does give me one answer though. Where do I want to be? In the place I left behind.  
  
Haley woke up early in the morning, an arm splayed haphazardly across her midsection. She looked over to the sleeping for of Nathan. She wanted, no, needed to get out of there. Go someplace where she could think.  
  
She knew she had a crush on Nathan, a big one. But could she really have a real relationship with someone so messed up? They were from two different worlds, and while he pretended not to notice it, she couldn't help it.  
  
Going to his parties were like walking into an alternate reality. One where little small town Haley no longer existed, and out came the new, big city girl. The one who blended in with the crowd and did what they did.  
  
She had to admit, it wasn't her.  
  
She was tired of being someone else. When it came right down to it, she knew this wasn't what she wanted or needed.  
  
She longed to be back where she was before Nathan. With her parents, Karen, Keith and Lucas.  
  
She knew it was only a small step back to there, but she wasn't sure if she could make it. But she would have to try; the old Haley needed to come back.  
  
Haley crawled out from under Nathan's arm and grabbed some clothes. Within fifteen minutes she was out the door and on her way to Karen's. She had left a note on the pillow for Nathan when he woke up.  
  
She walked into Karen's and without a word went behind the counter and into the kitchen, leaving Karen confused, and a little worried. Normally Haley was the chirpy one in the mornings, this mood wasn't her.  
  
Karen walked back into the kitchen and found Haley sitting at the counter. She sat next to her and waited in silence.  
  
"I want to come back," Haley said out of the blue. Karen's brow furrowed.  
  
"To where?"  
  
"Here, where I was before all of this drama started."  
  
"What drama?" Karen was genuinely confused. For the first time that morning Haley made eye contact with her.  
  
"Can I talk to you, Karen?"  
  
"Of course you can."  
  
"No, I mean really talk. Like woman to woman. Normally I have these kinds of conversations with Lucas, but I don't think I can have this one with him. You know what I mean?"  
  
"Not really, but I can try. What's wrong Haley?"  
  
"Nothing is wrong really. I'm just being stupid, forget it."  
  
"No, Haley. Tell me what's up?" Haley looked at her again and after a while spoke.  
  
"You know what relationships are like with Scott boys." Karen was taken aback, but nodded without saying anything.  
  
"I um- Nathan and I have been seeing each other. Not for long, but you know, we have."  
  
"I see. Does Lucas know?"  
  
"I think he has an idea, but I don't know if he knows anything concrete."  
  
"Were you planning on telling him?"  
  
"I don't know. It would be weird. I mean, I know how much Lucas and Nathan hate each other."  
  
"Yes, and that's why you should tell Lucas. Wouldn't you rather him find out by you telling him by someone else?"  
  
"Look, I don't even know if there is anything to tell him. I mean Nathan is messed up. He is not was I want in my life. I like him and everything, but he is so out of my court."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's like that song Fat Lip. You know, Sum 41."  
  
"I've never heard it."  
  
"Well, it's like "I don't to waste my time, become another casualty of society. I'll never fall in line, become another victim of conformity." Okay, well the point is, that song is what I used to be, now, I don't know. I feel like I'm the opposite. I'm hanging out with Nathan's crowd now and I don't like it."  
  
"Well, you don't need to hang out with his friends to be with him."  
  
"I know, but I feel like I need to. It's weird, you know? I'm torn between Lucas and Nathan, and I feel like just because of circumstances I should choose one or the other. If I don't I'll be betraying both of them."  
  
"You don't need to choose Haley."  
  
"Yes I do, Karen. I really do," there was a silence for a moment.  
  
"Do you know what you want to do?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Can you tell me?"  
  
"It will be hard, Karen. Really hard."  
  
"Some of the most important things we do in our lives will be hard Haley. In the end you have to do what's right for you," Haley smiled sadly and nodded, then jumped up.  
  
"I gotta go. Can I come in later?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Thanks," with that she began to bolt out the door.  
  
"Hey, Haley?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Who did you choose?"  
  
"What a question? Who do you think?" Karen smiled widely.  
  
"I'll see you at ten."  
  
"Okay. Bye Karen."  
  
"Bye."  
  
"Hey, thanks. I really needed a woman to talk to," with that Haley was gone. Karen smiled.  
  
"Me too."  
  
Okay, I know it sucks, but really like I said, I need criticism, any and all. PLEASE! Be harsh, be mean, anything you think sucks, tell me. I'm trying out my Laley skills. Don't be nice, be bitchy! 


	2. Needing You Differently

Nathan woke up from his deep sleep. He looked around, taking a moment before recognizing his surroundings. He rolled over onto his stomach, when his face came into contact with a little yellow sticky pad note. It stuck to his forehead.  
  
He sat up and pulled the annoyance off of his face, when he noticed it was written on.  
  
"Nate, hey, I had to go to the café. I'll talk to you later. Bye, Haley."  
  
Nathan crumpled up the note and threw it in a trash bin by the door. He walked over to Haley's vanity and leaned heavily on it, taking in his haggard appearance.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked himself in a whisper. He dropped his head and shook in lightly.  
  
"I know I can't do this, not to Haley," he continued, as though he was in a real conversation with another person.  
  
"God, I just love her so much. But I can't ask her to stick around when I'm so fucking screwed up."  
  
"I don't deserve her. She deserves someone who wont fuck themselves up like I did," with those last words, Nathan left the room. Without a second thought he ran from the house in search of Haley, determined to do the right thing for both of them.  
  
Nathan ran into Haley on his way to the café. They looked at each other without words for a moment, but both knew what the other had to say  
  
"Can we go somewhere to talk?" Haley asked. Nathan looked at her, the sunlight lit up he cheeks and made her eyes sparkle angelically.  
  
"Sure," he said in a low voice. They ended up heading back to Haley's house. Once they were inside they both sat on the living room couch in silence.  
  
"I wanted to thank you," Nathan said out of the blue. Haley's forehead rumpled.  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For taking me in last night. I know it was against your better judgment, so thank you."  
  
"Nathan, it was-"  
  
"Look, Haley. You know I like you. A lot. And that's why this is so damn hard."  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"I can't ask you to stay with me, Haley. You deserve someone who can stand on his own two feet. I'm too screwed up right now to have a relationship with anyone. No matter how much I will really regret this, I've got to end it," Nathan said sadly. Haley took a moment to understand what she had just been told. After a moment, she pulled him in and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I don't want to lose you as a friend, Nathan. And I do want to help you in any way I can," she whispered. He pulled away.  
  
"I hoped you would say that."  
  
"Hey, just because the whole relationship thing didn't work, it doesn't mean we can't still be friends. Look, you should go home, I'm sure your parents are worried about you."  
  
"That's unlikely."  
  
"Hey, give them a chance, they might surprise you. Now go, I need to get to the café."  
  
*Short, sweet and to the point. I wasn't even thinking of updating this, but some people kept emailing me, so there you go. I'll update with something Laley soon.* 


End file.
